Menard Reportedly Adds Longtime Coach Ethridge to Staff

MENARD, TX — After leading Richland Springs to the state championship game last fall, Harley Ethridge is now reportedly joining the coaching staff at Menard.

The news was first reported by Sixman Fan.

Ethridge is a longtime coach in the six-man ranks, who led the Coyotes to a 12-2 record last year and a runner-up finish in Class 1A Division II after falling to Jayton in the state final.

Despite the successful season, Richland Springs chose to part ways with Ethridge in February, citing “budget challenges.”

Ethridge will be an assistant for a Menard team that went 11-1 last year before losing to eventual state champ Gordon in the second round of the playoffs.

Menard is led by head coach Clay Holland and returns four starters from last year — quarterback Eli Weatherly, defensive back Hunter Squiers, fullback Wesley Compton and kicker Dario Gonzales.

The Yellowjackets will now be adding Ethridge’s son, Cohen, who was a first-team all-state player last season as a junior. 

Cohen rushed for 1,136 yards and 22 TDs lat fall, added 17 catches for 266 yards and five TDs, and had 708 passing yards and 13 scores. He also had 106 tackles on defense, and had an impressive five kickoff returns for TDs and five punt returns for TDs.

Harley Ethridge is perhaps best known for serving as Richland Springs’ offensive coordinator when the Coyotes won their first three state titles in 2004, ‘06 and ‘07.

Ethridge’s son, Tyler, is regarded as one of the best six-man players of all time and was the Coyotes' spread back during those state titles. 

Harley Ethridge later led Follett to the state final as the team's head coach in 2012. He returned to Richland Springs as an assistant in 2022 and took over the program last year for the first time.